Northgate-is - News Item 746

Newborn Hearing Screening Programme secures Northgate partnership until 2010

Northgate Information Solutions, a leading provider of innovative services to the public sector and utilities markets, today announces the extension of its partnership with the NHS Newborn Hearing Screening Programme (NHSP) until 2010.

The NHSP is recognised as the most advanced hearing screening programme in the world and Northgate currently manages its online national information system e-Screener Plus (eSP) and performance management system. The contract, worth £3.2 million, will deliver a programme of continuous improvements to the NHSP such as better integration with screening equipment, improved data quality and sophisticated new tools for service monitoring and supporting quality assurance. eSP has been acknowledged as one of the most successful clinical systems in the NHS and is used across England, handling approximately 600,000 babies per year.

Northgate partners with the NHS Newborn Hearing Screening Programme, delivering:

- An innovative national online information system and performance management system with fully automated notification of all new babies born, enabling clinicians to effectively manage screening and follow-up services;
- A robust and resilient system, with secure storage of all screening data;
- Secure access and high availability of the system for all local screening services.

Under the NHS Newborn Hearing Screening Programme, hearing loss and deafness is now identified in children within the first few months of birth, with the average time for hearing aid fitting now under five months. Prior to this, a quarter of children with permanent hearing loss were not identified until three and half years of age or older.

Prof Adrian Davis OBE, for the NHS Newborn Hearing Screening Programme, said today:
“A proactive approach to identifying deafness and hearing loss can have a major effect on the development of children throughout the country. Without early identification, babies are at considerable risk of not developing their communications skills, preventing them from reaching their full potential in later life. Reinforcing our relationship with Northgate, we can ensure that the Newborn Hearing Screening Programme continues to work effectively as an invaluable public health service for clinicians, newborn babies and their families.”

Ian Blackhurst, Managing Director, Northgate Healthcare Services, said:
“The NHS Newborn Hearing Screening Programme has so far identified more than 3,400 babies in England as having permanent hearing impairment or deafness. We are committed to supporting NHSP as it is essential to delivering early identification and support for families to maximise the prospects of children reaching their full potential. Information management and quality are integral to building effective screening programmes in the UK.  Effective screening programmes help people make better choices about their health - enabling them to take control and responsibility for their health, thereby preventing ill health and promoting well-being.”

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